Smoking-induced lung cancer is the leading death in cancer patients worldwide22. Persistent inflammation plays a major role in promoting lung cancer in humans and animals and has also been implicated in a wide variety of diseases from heart conditions to metabolic syndrome. A better understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms governing this pathogenic process are integral to developing new therapies to treat and perhaps prevent conditions related to this metabolic state. One class of enzymes that may be involved in diseases such as lung cancer are the zinc-dependent matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs).
Given their possible role in tumorigenesis and perhaps other pathologies, there is a need for better model for determining the tissue specific role that MMPs plays in human and animal pathology. Some aspects of the instant invention provide tools that provide better insights into these processes.